


exile.

by AnxiousCupcake



Series: half-baked unrelated plot kitties [20]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged Up, Angst, Drama, Hopeful/Implied Happy Ending for Adrinette, Jealousy, Morally Grey Luka Couffaine, Sad Ending for Lukanette, Snake Miraculous, Some Violence No Gore, The boys are fighting, character study i suppose, is anyone surprised at this point?, kinf of on the nose even, messing with the timeline, yeah this is inspired by exile by taylor swift and bon iver
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-24 02:33:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30065313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnxiousCupcake/pseuds/AnxiousCupcake
Summary: Luka knows how this ends, and he'll do everything in his power to stop that. He's seen this film before, and he knows how it ends, but he loves her too much to let her go; what she doesn't know wouldn't hurt her.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Luka Couffaine, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: half-baked unrelated plot kitties [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1980556
Comments: 14
Kudos: 58





	exile.

**Author's Note:**

> same premise as my fic [time sensitive.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29221308) NOT set in that universe though. for those that haven't read that one, in short: ' adrien is sensitive to warps in time due to his extensive use of the snake miraculous '.
> 
> disclaimer: nothing against my boy luka, and everything to do with miss swift getting in my feels again. also i just like thinking... #angles, u know?
> 
> disclaimer 2: before you all come at me with rectifications and canon lore, i know this is not how the snake miraculous works. i took creative license and attributed it to him having more control of it's flexibility as he grew older. or idk make up your own reasons :P

Something familiar tightened in Luka’s chest as he watched Adrien’s gaze track Marinette across the rooftop from where he was leaning against the railings; she was laughing at something Alya was saying. 

Luka knew this would end, despite how much he had tried to stop it, _over_ and _over_ , different situation after siutation, time after time after time. He had lost count of how many times he had seen this exact movie, but it always ended the same way. He was tired; there had to be away. There _had_ to be; it was mathematically impossible for there not to be at least _one_ future, _one reality_ , where she chose _him_ instead of Adrien, despite the trash Sass spewed about ‘soulmates’. He did not believe in that crap; all he needed was for Marinette to choose _him_. 

He watched as Adrien swirled the glass of wine in his hand before a determined look crossed his face. Adrien downed his glass in one gulp, and Luka’s fingers found their way to the bracelet on his wrist, knowing exactly how the next half hour would go. And how the next few weeks would go after that. 

Adrien found Luka’s gaze, and Luka expected him to look away with guilt; the way he had countless times before. Adrien’s eyes hardened instead, with just the slightest narrowing of eyes, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, leaning away from the railing before straightening with purpose. 

Luka broke their contact first. When he looked up, Adrien was gone. 

This was new. 

Entirely too new. 

It should have set him on edge, but he had a mission.

He shook off the feeling, determined. He took his leave of Nino, texting Marinette that there was an ‘emergency’ he had to take care of - a flimsy excuse, he knew, but soon enough it wouldn’t matter anyway - and that he would see her at their apartment ( _their apartment. Theirs._ )

Minutes later, he found himself in a familiar alley, heart heavy as he eyed the rooftop he had just fled. He said a silent apology to Marinette - what she doesn’t know wouldn’t hurt her - and to Sass; he had long since resigned trying to stop him. 

“Sass-”

A claw-tipped hand wrapped around his mouth as another curled around his wrist, the scent of leather overwhelming his senses. His heart pounded in fear and his struggle was futile, he knew, especially against someone powered by a miraculous. 

“You know,” a voice hissed in his ear, a familiar voice that he would have thought was incapable of any hostility, but here they were. For the first time in his numerous attempts at doing this, Luka found himself _scared_. “I hate when people break their promises.”

He felt the fingers around his wrist pry the Snake Miraculous off him. “I think you made a promise to my lady to only use the miraculous for good.” 

_'My Lady'._ Luka hated that he still called her that. Marinette had insisted one of those time that it was all in 'good fun' and it was just a joke from when they were kids. He hated it all the same, but he tolerated it with a stiff smile because he did not want to interfere in Ladybug and Chat Noir's partnership; he would always take a backseat as Viperion, and he'd made peace with that, because he had _Marinette_. With a growl, Chat Noir's grip loosened and Luka wrenched himself away from him with a snarl, speaking through gritted teeth. “I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Chat Noir appraised his claws calmly, thumb scratching at the tip of his index finger. “And I _don't_ wield the power of destruction in my fingertips." 

"Making threats at a civilian now, Chat Noir?" asked Luka. "New low."

"Not the snake lecturing me about what is low and what is not," said Chat, completely unperturbed; it was unnerving, and Luka felt a vulnerability he hadn't in a long time, his wrist heavy despite the sudden and unwelcome bareness.

“Give me the miraculous!” Luka snapped, lunging forward. 

Chat side-stepped with ease, head cocked and a hollow, amused smile on his face, nothing like his light-hearted, teasing demeanour. He radiated a tense hostility as he let out a snort. “Starting to sound like Hawkmoth too, my lady will _not_ be happy.”

Ladybug will know. 

_She was going to find out._

Luka started to feel the despair he had locked deep into his bones start to bleed out. Sass had warned him this would come to an end at some point. This was the ugliest outcome he would think of, and despite it, he couldn't bring himself to regret fighting to keep _her_ ; she lit up his world. She _was_ his world, and he would do anything for her. It was all going to be snatched away from him despite his best efforts, and all he could find in himself to regret was simply not having been more careful. 

“How did you know?” 

“Adrien Agreste," stated Chat simply. 

Luka blinked in confusion. 

“Didn’t know he wielded the snake before you did, did you?”

No. No, he hadn’t. 

_Of course_ it was Adrien. Wasn't it _always_? Luka snarled. “You don’t understand! I am trying to-”

Chat’s smile dropped as he finally pulled his baton, delivering a precise blow to his gut, making him keel over with a groan. 

“I know exactly what you’re trying to do,” he said, voice deathly quiet, dragging Luka by his collar only to throw him to the floor. “Have done. Have _been_ doing. It’s disappointing really. I thought highly of you.”

Luka laughed hollowly as Chat knelt next to his head, checking for any serious injuries, Luka was sure. “Sorry to disappoint.”

“You should be.”

Chat stood up, ready to leave. 

“Are you… Are you going to tell her?”

Chat stilled, before looking away. “She deserves to know.”

“Please… It would break her heart.”

Pursing his lips, Chat started to walk away, lifting himself up on the rapidly extending baton. Luka caught a glimpse of conflict in his eyes, and he let himself hope; it was a moot point anyway.

He watched as Chat Noir leapt onto the ledge of the adjacent building.

He lay there for some time as Chat disappeared from his view before finally picking himself up. He trudged home, hoping and praying that she was still there. Even if Chat Noir decided not to tell Marinette, Ladybug would find out; that would be enough. 

And yet still, he hoped that just for tonight, she was waiting at home for him.

**Author's Note:**

> dunno if i'll expand, but maybe i will. i do have ideas - adrien's pov, telling ladybug, marinette finding out, diff times he's used his second chance, etc etc - but who knows; i have unreliable bird brain.
> 
> send asks or questions about this fic, or anything mlb and i'll be happy to discuss! :D - [activechataclysme.](https://activechataclysme.tumblr.com/)


End file.
